By Congreswoman Kay Granger
Texas Insider Report: Ft. Worth Texas On July 11th I helped send off a group of Texas National Guardsmen at a deployment ceremony in Fort Worth. Seeing families separated from their loved ones for a year-long deployment to Afghanistan is an emotional experience. Meanwhile this Congress cannot pass a pork-free bill to fund our troops.
Dragging our troops livelihoods into politics too many members of Congress have confused the supplemental" with anti-war sentiments.
What they do not understand is that beginning in August we may not be able to pay our soldiers if Congress does not act. This is unacceptable.
In November 2009 President Obama spoke to cadets at the United States Military Academy at West Point where he outlined the Administrations request for additional war funding.
Seven months later still with no congressional action Secretary of Defense Robert Gates told Congress that he needed the funding no later than July 4th. The House of Representatives proceeded to pass a supplemental bill on July 1st with $20 billion in pork added on.
The administrations urgency fell on deaf ears in the Senate. Majority Leader Harry Reid dismissed Senators for the July 4th recess considering the bill.
As of today we are still waiting for the Senate to do something.
Because of this inaction the Secretarys need for a supplemental is now to replenish funds he had to take from elsewhere in the Pentagon budget to cover our soldiers payrolls.
That said come August furlough notices will be issued to the civilian Department of Defense employees. And if Congress still cannot act our troops on the ground will not receive their pay checks.
We have to demonstrate our support for our troops regardless of the politics of the situation. They are the bravest men and women and the ones who make the sacrifice to spend time away from their loved ones in the service of their nation.
This bill should not be a partisan issue or a way for members to pass billions of dollars in additional pork.
